We heeded his advice and Jerald and I decided to go on a day-trip + walking-tour to Potsdam for one of the days whilst we were staying in Berlin. The journey to Potsdam takes about 45 mins by train from the main train station in Berlin. And from the train station at Potsdam we had to take another tram ride to the scenic areas.
There are many attractions to visit in Potsdam. From the fabulous Sanssouci to the Cecilienhof Palace as well as other historical sights apart from the Sanssouci Park.
Unfortunately, even though we were on a full day walking tour, we went into none of them. This was the only walking tour that J and I did that was NOT with Sandermans, boy did we regret not going with Sandermans.
Unfortunately, even though we were on a full day walking tour, we went into none of them. This was the only walking tour that J and I did that was NOT with Sandermans, boy did we regret not going with Sandermans.
As you might have guessed, we didn't have as much fun as we would have wanted to. Our guide wasn't great. Not only did he not acknowledge me (for whatever reason, he ignored me and just talked to Jerald and the 4 other girls that were also on the tour), he didn't give us much information about the region or the places we walked by, and he kept going on about Italy, laws of Berlin (the 4 girls were first year law students, and the questions revolvers round law - surprise surprise) and how it's a lot more liberal in comparison to Italy. For the first 30 minutes, it was still considerably interesting since I was planning on heading to Italy towards the end of my winter trip, however, after 1 hour or so, I got annoyed that he wasn't as prepared, and wasn't sharing with us much about Potsdam or Berlin.
Despite the lack of information, there was lots to enjoy. From the unique cottage looking architecture of the houses to the short blunt ends of the long tall skinny trees, there is so much to love and admire about this little area. If it weren't for the fact that Potsdam is really beautiful, I think I would have left before the tour ended.
Though we didnt make it into any of the attractions (the guide brought us to the INFORMATION BOARD for most of them and practically read off it!) we managed to see the outside of the Sans Souci Palace. The Sans souci was suppose to have a gorgeous fountain with Statues around, as well as green covered stairs leading up to the Palace.
Just like this (image credits to bertrago)!
However, there were white sheets covering the statues and as expected, it was a lot less green since it's in the winter. It would probably be a better option to visit in the spring or summer - time for those who are going to Berlin in the spring/summer to make a few plans!
That being said, the scenery in Potsdam still looked delightful in the winter :) It was a good thing that the weather was pretty decent that day we were there. It was such a serene, and uninhabited park. I had so much fun walking through it. At one point, as we were walking past rows and rows of barren tall trees, I told Jerald ,"I think Taylor Swift could film an 'Out of the Woods' music video here!" On hindsight, I think it would be kind of cool to have seen the park covered in snow.
There was a river cutting through the park, which has a bridge across it. The unique thing about the bridge was that it has 2 different shades of green, and they meet midway between the river. This was because one side of the river belonged to the Soviets while the other was Capitalistic. Not too sure if the different shades were done intentionally, but it shows people who walk past the area how significant this river and this bridge use to be in the past, before Berlin was reunited.
Half way through the walk in the park, I got really hungry and wanted to have lunch, it would have been perfect if we had the opportunity to pack a little picnic basket and have a picnic somewhere in the park.
If you're planning to visit Potsdam, definitely bring along a picnic basket! It would be such a fun time just chilling and eating while soaking up the beauty of nature all around you. Then again, this should be done preferably in the spring or summer. We don't want to be freezing out in the cold winters now do we ;)
Anyway, I do not regret going to Potsdam. In fact, I think if you were to have some free time on hand whilst in Berlin, you should definitely do a short trip to the area. A walking tour would be useful, but do check the reviews online regarding the tour company before joining them. Otherwise, it's always fun to just go with a couple of friends and have a chilled out afternoon/evening!
Just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on leaving halfway during a walking tour? I think its pretty rude, but how else could you deal with an unpleasant tour - especially one that makes you waste precious traveling time? Leave a comment below and let me know!
I hope you've enjoyed the pictures, xo!
What I Wore:
Bright Yellow Knit Cardigan (kind of matches will with the surrounding doesn't it!): Gift (Similar Here) | Black Pants: Takashimaya (Similar Here) | Blue-grey Touch-Screen Gloves: Marks and Spencer | Grey Knit Top: H&M (Similar Here)
Though we didnt make it into any of the attractions (the guide brought us to the INFORMATION BOARD for most of them and practically read off it!) we managed to see the outside of the Sans Souci Palace. The Sans souci was suppose to have a gorgeous fountain with Statues around, as well as green covered stairs leading up to the Palace.
Just like this (image credits to bertrago)!
However, there were white sheets covering the statues and as expected, it was a lot less green since it's in the winter. It would probably be a better option to visit in the spring or summer - time for those who are going to Berlin in the spring/summer to make a few plans!
That being said, the scenery in Potsdam still looked delightful in the winter :) It was a good thing that the weather was pretty decent that day we were there. It was such a serene, and uninhabited park. I had so much fun walking through it. At one point, as we were walking past rows and rows of barren tall trees, I told Jerald ,"I think Taylor Swift could film an 'Out of the Woods' music video here!" On hindsight, I think it would be kind of cool to have seen the park covered in snow.
There was a river cutting through the park, which has a bridge across it. The unique thing about the bridge was that it has 2 different shades of green, and they meet midway between the river. This was because one side of the river belonged to the Soviets while the other was Capitalistic. Not too sure if the different shades were done intentionally, but it shows people who walk past the area how significant this river and this bridge use to be in the past, before Berlin was reunited.
Half way through the walk in the park, I got really hungry and wanted to have lunch, it would have been perfect if we had the opportunity to pack a little picnic basket and have a picnic somewhere in the park.
If you're planning to visit Potsdam, definitely bring along a picnic basket! It would be such a fun time just chilling and eating while soaking up the beauty of nature all around you. Then again, this should be done preferably in the spring or summer. We don't want to be freezing out in the cold winters now do we ;)
Anyway, I do not regret going to Potsdam. In fact, I think if you were to have some free time on hand whilst in Berlin, you should definitely do a short trip to the area. A walking tour would be useful, but do check the reviews online regarding the tour company before joining them. Otherwise, it's always fun to just go with a couple of friends and have a chilled out afternoon/evening!
Just out of curiosity, what are your thoughts on leaving halfway during a walking tour? I think its pretty rude, but how else could you deal with an unpleasant tour - especially one that makes you waste precious traveling time? Leave a comment below and let me know!
I hope you've enjoyed the pictures, xo!
What I Wore:
Bright Yellow Knit Cardigan (kind of matches will with the surrounding doesn't it!): Gift (Similar Here) | Black Pants: Takashimaya (Similar Here) | Blue-grey Touch-Screen Gloves: Marks and Spencer | Grey Knit Top: H&M (Similar Here)
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